Product FYIs

Using our FullFillery brand or generic products:

Some of the exclusive FullFillery cleaning products (made for us by our resident chemist Emoke Gaidosch) contain recycled vegetable oil. How does Emoke recycle the oil into soap? The majority of it comes from used plant-based cooking oil from a local commercial kitchen. This oil is cooked 2-3 times until it is clean and is made into 100% pure soap. Instead of clogging sewage pipes and polluting our waterways, the oil becomes an essential part of your zero waste lifestyle! Our all-purpose cleaner, solid dish soap, liquid dish soap concentrate, home cleaning scrub, and laundry detergent powder all use this recycled oil.
We make unscented versions of almost all of our products, since they don’t require as many ingredients or labor, and some folks are sensitive to scents. Since we don’t have to use essential oils, we pass the savings on to you.
To use the FullFillery All-Purpose Cleaner, break one tablet (~1.5″) into little squares as shown by the scored lines. You can then fit the little squares into the narrow neck of your spray bottle. Fill the bottle with 16oz of warm water and shake well.
To use the FullFillery Dish Soap Liquid Concentrate, fill half of an empty bottle (with pump top) with water, fill the rest of the way with the liquid concentrate, and shake well. To use it with a spray top, try filling the bottle 3/4 with water and filling the rest of the way with soap. Adjust as desired.
Our FullFillery Liquid Laundry Detergent is concentrated, so use about half as much as you normally would. Try somewhere between 1Tbsp and 3Tbsp, depending on your water, machine, and load size/condition.
To use the FullFillery Home Cleaning Scrub, wet the surface to be cleaned, sprinkle a little powder on it, and scrub with a cleaning cloth/brush. Alternatively, sprinkle some powder on a wet cleaning cloth/brush, and start scrubbing. Rinse the surface and wipe dry with a clean cloth.
Our pre-bottled vinegar (sold in a pre-used gallon container) is 20% acid as purchased. Please handle it carefully, and do not breath in the fumes. To dilute it to 10%, fill the rest of the jug with water. This concentration is good for household cleaning. For cooking, use half as much (of the diluted solution you just made) as usual.
How does oxygen brightener work? When sodium percarbonate mixes with water, it releases oxygen, which breaks down the organic matter in stains. These smaller particles are then more easily washed out by the detergent. Most brands use large amounts of weaker ingredients such as baking soda or washing soda to lower their price, but what we sell is pure sodium percarbonate!
We stock iodized salt (BYOC) not only because it’s less expensive than sea salt, but also because there are so few sources of dietary iodine!
How long do your cosmetic products last? Like most other natural products on the market, they generally are best used within 12 months of when you open the package.

Why this, not that?

Why opt for steel and silicone rather than glass? Glass does not recycle easily. There are many different grades and colors that need to be separated, plus it’s very heavy and difficult to transport. in fact, many places no longer accept it for recycling. We encourage reusing any glass containers you buy.
Why carry bamboo floss instead of silk floss? Silk from silkworms is surprisingly harsh on the environment—even more so than polyester, viscose/rayon, or conventional cotton! (according to the Higg Index, which measures environmental & social impact) https://apparelcoalition.org/the-higg-index/ Our floss refills use bamboo with candelilla wax, while the floss picks use polylactic acid from corn, cassava, or beets.
Why offer 100% recycled paper for the toilet paper, instead of bamboo? Recycled paper is more eco-friendly than bamboo toilet paper. Who Gives A Crap uses post-consumer waste paper (things like textbooks, workbooks, office paper, etc) and a small percentage (around 5%) of post-industrial paper (offcuts from nearby paper factories). Recycling paper reduces CO₂ and particulate matter emissions, as well as saving water.
Many of our products are made of the most sustainable materials available. For example, hemp, ramie, and bamboo do not require pesticides, and they allow multiple harvests throughout the year. They’re sustainable sources of strong, breathable, fast-drying products that are naturally mold-resistant and antibacterial. Sisal also needs no pesticides, and as a crop, it absorbs more carbon dioxide than it produces. Of course, all of these materials are biodegradable.
Most bamboo fabric on the market, unfortunately, is viscose, which is highly processed. The amount of chemical processing negates much of the value of using a sustainable plant like bamboo. If the fabric is thin and inexpensive, it is probably bamboo viscose and will get holes quickly. When you have the choice, choose hemp, linen, or possibly, even organic cotton instead (not conventional cotton). (Bamboo is a wonderful substitute for plastic or wood, however, as described above.)

Some of our vendors’ products

Our bamboo toothbrushes are 100% biobased, meaning that the bristles do not have any plastic in them at all (not even nylon 4). They use castor bean oil instead, but they still last a long time.
The Zigzag Soap Dishes from Howell‘s have ridges to minimize contact with your soap bar, so there is plenty of air circulation to keep it dry. The new Washboard style increases air circulation even more, with its wavy bottom. There are no holes, though, so your counter stays clean. Made here in the US by a one-person business, using lumber mill scraps that would normally be turned into sawdust. The dishmaker recommends getting two and alternating between them, to make them last longer than using them one after the other.
The deodorants & lip balms may appear far smaller than conventional sticks, but part of the reason is that they are packaged more efficiently in their compostable tubes. They have gotten rave reviews from our customers, many of whom find them to be far superior to other brands.
Safety razors require a slightly different technique than disposable ones, but the results are definitely worth it! Here’s a helpful video for the double-edged safety razors from Albatross: Albatross SHAVES How-To Video: FACE and LEGS.

A common question: what’s the difference between “biodegradable” and “compostable”?

Biodegradable materials are broken down by living organisms, not artificial additives. The decomposition may or may not involve oxygen, and it may or may not yield useful material. Yes, plastics fall into this category.
A subset of biodegradable materials are compostable. Under the right conditions, they break down into nutrient-rich soil within 6 months. They need not just living organisms, but also oxygen, water, and heat. Some things can be composted in your backyard compost pile, but others need to be picked up from your house & taken to a commercial compost facility. Compostable items and packaging are less common and more expensive, but we try our very best to bring them to you.

Finishing FullFillery’s Body Soaps

How to Assemble a Mason Jar Soap Dispenser